Self-powered light bar

ABSTRACT

An emergency system for a vehicle integrates many disparate equipment into single housing, including the power supply for the equipment. In one embodiment of the invention, the emergency system is a light bar. The light bar houses a power source comprising solar cell panels, a Lithium-Ion battery pack and a connection to an external supply such as the vehicle&#39;s electrical power. Energy for operating the light bar is provided by one or more of the power sources, depending on operating conditions of the light bar and each of the power sources.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional PatentApplication No. 61/225,479, filed on Jul. 14, 2009, which is herebyincorporated by reference in its entirety.

This application is a continuation-in-part of co-pending U.S. patentapplication Ser. Nos. 11/548,209 entitled “Fully Integrated Light Bar,”filed Oct. 10, 2006, and 12/350,506 entitled “Light Bar And Method ForMaking,” filed Jan. 8, 2009, which is in turn a continuation of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/394,752, having the same title and filedon Mar. 31, 2006 (now U.S. Pat. No. 7,476,013). Both applications andthe issued patent are hereby incorporated by reference in theirentireties and for everything they describe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Typical emergency response vehicles have many different systems formonitoring and responding to various situations and emergencies. Forexample, the vehicles are equipped with communications equipment thatincludes both voice and data generating devices such as radios andcomputers. This and other electronic equipment (e.g., controls fordevices such as light bars) crowd the interior space of the vehicle,which is not designed for this concentration of electronics.

It is extremely difficult to equip the vehicles with all of the neededcommunications, monitoring, and response equipment. Standard commercialvehicles are retrofitted with this equipment through a labor-intensiveprocess. Retro fitting the vehicles is often an iterative process, asnew equipment replaces old. Advances in equipment allow first respondersto perform their jobs more safely and efficiently. However, each timeequipment advances, vehicles must again be retrofitted. Furthermore,when the vehicle is no longer used by emergency services, the equipmentmust be removed from the vehicle through another costly, labor-intensiveprocess.

In addition to systems for detecting and responding to emergencies,vehicles must be equipped with various communications systems. Forexample, in the United States public safety officials including firedepartments, police departments and ambulance services primarily usecommunications systems that work within the VHF and UHF bands.Conventional land mobile radios operate on these and other frequencies.Cellular networks, which operate in the UHF frequency band, are alsoused for public safety communications systems for both data and voicecommunications. More recently, the SHF band, such as the 4.9 GHz bandreserved by the United States Federal Communications Commission (FCC),have been included in public safety communications systems. Moreover,within these several frequency bands, there are a number ofcommunications standards, such as the IEEE 802.11 protocol, utilized totransmit data. Many other frequency bands and communication protocolsare used by emergency service personnel around the country. In order toensure reliable communications across public safety agencies, vehiclesare often now equipped with still further electronics that enable publicsafety personnel to communicate over several transmissions protocolsand/or frequency bands. All of the radios and communications equipmentresults in a cluttered environment.

As technology evolves and finds applications in the area of publicsafety, emergency response vehicles increasingly carry more equipment todetect and respond to countless situations and emergencies. Typically,individual systems are installed in the vehicle for each of the tasksaimed at emergency responses. For example, a police vehicle monitorstraffic using a radar detector. Cameras mounted in an emergency vehiclegather evidence. Many emergency vehicles have light bars mounted totheir roofs. Sirens warn citizens of danger. GPS systems inform acontrol center of the vehicle's location. Vehicles may contain equipmentto detect bio-hazards or chemicals in the event of an industrial spillor terrorist attack. Countless other systems are installed in emergencyvehicles based on expected situations. This trend can only be expectedto continue.

Emergency vehicles are often equipped with emergency lighting equipmentthat draw attention to the vehicles and provide visual warning tocitizens. Typically this equipment includes flashing or rotating lights,which generating a considerable amount of electromagnetic noise. Becauseof the noisy environment and to assist in visibility, the emergencylighting equipment is most often housed in a module commonly called a“light bar” mounted to a roof of the emergency vehicle. Installing theemergency light equipment in a light bar lessens the effect theelectromagnetic noise has on the operation of sensitivetelecommunications equipment inside the vehicle.

Installing in emergency vehicles all of this communications, detectionand response equipment is costly and labor intensive. All of it isretrofitted into a vehicle manufactured without any accommodation forthis special purpose equipment. Some of the equipment, such as radarunits and cameras are typically mounted to the front edge of theinterior of the roof such that the radar unit and/or the camera extenddownwardly to provide views through the front windshield. Power cablesare routed from this equipment to the vehicle's power system through theroof lining and down one of the side posts of the car, separating thefront and rear car doors, and then to a controller unit, which islocated in the trunk, engine compartment or even under a seat in theinterior of the vehicle. Many emergency vehicles are equipped with lightbars mounted on the roofs of the vehicles. Power and control cables forthe light bars are also fished through the side posts and routed to thetrunks of the vehicles or to the engine compartments of the vehicles.These cables are fished through the side pillar of the vehicleseparating the front and rear doors. Communications antennas are mountedon the roof and on the trunk. Holes are drilled in the car to attach theantennas. Again, cables are routed to a controller in the trunk of thevehicle. Finally, each piece of equipment is wired to controllers in thevehicle's cabin. There are numerous other systems that are regularlyinstalled in emergency vehicles. As technology advances, new devicesmust be incorporated into emergency vehicles. This requires taking thevehicle out of service for an extended period of time as older devicesare removed from the vehicle and newer devices are installed.

By their nature, emergencies often require deployment of more emergencyequipment than normally in use at any given time. Communities mustdetermine how best to provide for emergency situations that may requirequick deployment of additional equipment. Typically, communities rely onresources from neighboring communities. This strategy works as long asthe neighboring communities are close by and not affected by the sameemergency. For emergencies that affect large areas, however, relying onneighboring communities to loan their resources is not a workablestrategy.

For example, neighboring communities may face a common emergency such asa hurricane, a terrorist attack or an earthquake. In these types ofemergencies, the effected communities will need additional emergencyvehicles that are not available from nearby neighboring communities.Moreover, because of the labor intensive and costly installationprocess, non-emergency vehicles cannot be quickly converted foremergency use. Furthermore, existing emergency vehicles may not have thebest combination of equipment for dealing with a particular disaster.The time-consuming installation process prevents vehicles from beingquickly adapted to respond to an emergency condition that the vehicle isotherwise not equipped to handle.

After a vehicle is no longer needed by public safety agencies, it istypically sold in the aftermarket. However, all of the communicationssystems and emergency equipment must be removed from the vehicle beforesale. If the vehicle is to be resold at maximum value, the damage to thevehicle done during the process of retrofitting the emergency equipmentmust be repaired. For example, any holes drilled into the vehicle duringinstallation of the equipment must be patched. The dashboard most likelyneeds to be repaired because of holes drilled in it to run wiring, mountdevices and control units. All of this repairing is expensive andreduces the resale value of the vehicle, which represents a substantialamount of lost revenue to communities.

Another problem facing first responders is the lack of a unifiedcommunications network for transmitting voice and data. For example,different police departments responding to the same emergency affectingseveral communities may use different radios. Furthermore, live videotaken from one vehicle at the scene of an emergency is not available toother vehicles responding to the emergency. Current attempts to solvecommunications problems result in even more equipment and radios beinginstalled into vehicles.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

An emergency warning device for mounting to a vehicle has one or morepower sources associated with the device and distinct from the vehicle'spower sources. In one embodiment, a light bar for mounting to anexternal surface of the vehicle includes a device for converting solarenergy to electrical energy (e.g., solar cells) and a complementarybattery for storing the electrical energy for later use by the emergencydevices comprising the light bar. The power source for the light bar canbe completely self contained in the light bar or it can be supplementedby power from external sources such as the vehicle battery associatedwith the vehicle's power train.

In one embodiment, the supplemental power alternates with the solarcells and their associated battery to power the emergency warning device(e.g., light bar). In this embodiment, the emergency warning deviceincludes a switch that selects either the battery of the vehicle's powertrain to power the emergency devices or the combined instantaneous andstored power of the solar cells and battery connected to the solarcells. An energy control system that is either manual or automaticallows energy to be drawn from one or more of the solar cells, batterypack and the vehicle's electrical power system, depending on operatingconditions.

In another embodiment, the supplement power source is both analternative power source and also a source of energy for charging thebattery associated with the solar cells. In this embodiment, the batteryof the vehicle's power train trickle charges the battery of theemergency warning device. In the course of a vehicle's normal operation,the emergency warning device is typically off for a large portion of thetime the vehicle is in use. During that time, the excess energygenerated by the power train of the vehicle charges the battery of thedevice. The alternator of the vehicle, which is the source of power forall of the electrical devices of the vehicle, usually generates moreenergy than required to power the electrical devices of the vehicle. Theexcess energy first goes to recharge the battery of the vehicle's powertrain. Once the battery is fully charged, however, the potentialproduction of energy by the alternator is largely wasted. By using theotherwise wasted potential extra energy to trickle charge the batteryassociated with the emergency warning device during normal operation ofthe vehicle, the device can approach a state in which it can operateindefinitely without requiring it be taken out of operation in order torecharge the battery. In one implementation of this embodiment, thesupplemental power is aimed at only trickle charging the battery and,therefore, the connection to the warning device can be constructed tohandle relatively low power levels, making the connection relativelysmall and easy to install.

The emergency warning device can include just warning lights or it caninclude additional devices requiring electrical power that also serve anemergency function. For example, the emergency warning device may houseemergency devices such as telecommunications equipment and communitymonitoring equipment. In one embodiment, all of the emergency equipmentthat might otherwise be housed in the interior of the vehicle is housedin the light bar so that a vehicle can be easily and quicklyretrofitted. Obviously, these devices demand more energy than if theemergency warning device supported only lights. But these device alsoare unlikely to be operated continuously and, therefore, their inclusioninto the emergency warning device may not prevent the device fromoperating without the need to be periodically taken out of service tocharge the battery.

If the battery associated with the emergency warning device is tricklecharged, a relatively thin wire can be fished from the a point tappinginto the vehicle's electrical system to the device mounted to theexterior of the vehicle. Alternatively, energy can be trickle charged tothe device by way of an electromagnetic coupling, making for acompletely wireless connection with the vehicle.

For control signals, in order to avoid fishing wiring from a controlhead mounted in the interior of the vehicle to the equipment in thelight bar, the connection between the control head and the light bar ispreferably a wireless connection. All wiring is avoided if the emergencywarning device either relies exclusively on the solar cells and theassociated battery or provides a wireless energy coupling.

In one embodiment of the invention, the emergency warning device orlight bar contains a number of modules for sensing real time conditionsof the vehicle, its operator and the ambient environment of the vehicleand operator. Example modules include a video camera, a radar unit, aGPS unit, a biological agent sensor and a license plate recognitionsystem. Preferably, the light bar is designed to allow for the customfitting of modules, thereby enabling a light bar to be equipped with anycombination of modules best suited for an application.

In one embodiment of the invention, the light bar houses at least onetransceiver for communicating information gathered from sensors(preferably also in the light bar) over a wireless network. In order toenable real time communication of information demanding high data rates,the transceiver is a broadband device such as a Wi-Fi transceiver.Broadband transceivers allow for real time transmission and reception ofinformation such as video feeds and detailed maps of buildings.

In one embodiment of the invention, data from the modules aretransmitted over a wireless network to a control center where the datais reviewed and analyzed for activating or informing or otherwisemarshalling community resources. Further, information may be transmittedfrom one fully integrated light bar equipped vehicle to other suchvehicles to assist in responding to or monitoring emergencies. These andother embodiments of the invention will be more fully explained in thedetailed description of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a schematic representation of an emergency warning device,such as a light bar, integrated into a broadband community wirelessnetwork.

FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an emergency warning device of FIG. 1integrated into a light bar with a wireless connection to a broadbandnetwork and a wired or wireless connection to a control head within avehicle (FIGS. 2A and 2B, respectively).

FIG. 3 illustrates a control interface at a mobile data terminal forcontrolling modules comprising the emergency warning device.

FIG. 3A illustrates a user interface at the mobile data terminal forcontrolling a video camera mobile of the emergency warning device, wherethe user interface is accessible from the control interface.

FIG. 4 illustrates a lower portion of a housing for the light bar inFIGS. 2A and 2B including a controller and a fuel cell.

FIGS. 5A and 5B illustrate alternative mounting assemblies for mountingthe light bar to a roof of the vehicle.

FIG. 6 is a sectional view of the lower portion of the light bar takenalong line 3 a-3 a in FIG. 4.

FIG. 7A illustrates one of several circuit boards in the light barfitted with warning light assemblies.

FIG. 7B illustrates the opposite side of the circuit board in FIG. 7A,showing various modules mounted on the circuit board in keeping with oneembodiment of the invention.

FIG. 8 illustrates an embodiment of the light bar in FIGS. 1-7 with thetop half of the light bar's housing exploded away to reveal an interiorspace of the light bar populated with various electronic modules andantennas supported on circuit boards in keeping with the illustration inFIG. 7B.

FIG. 9 illustrates an alternative embodiment of the light bar in FIGS.1-7 with the top half of the light bar's housing exploded away as inFIG. 8 to reveal an interior space of the light bar populated withvarious electronic modules and antennas supported on a single monolithiccircuit board.

FIG. 10A illustrates a cross sectional view of a circuit board suitablefor use as the circuit board in FIGS. 8 and 9 whose ground plane whenplaced in the light bar creates an area within the light bar that isrelatively free of stray electromagnetic radiation from the operation ofthe warning lights.

FIG. 10B illustrates a cross sectional view of an alternative circuitboard also suitable for use as the circuit board in FIGS. 8 and 9 whoseground plane when placed in the light bar creates an area within thelight bar that is relatively free of stray electromagnetic radiationfrom the operation of the warning lights.

FIG. 10C illustrates an embodiment of the light bar in FIGS. 1-7 where agrounding plane within a light bar and separate from the circuitboard(s) for supporting the warning lights provides isolation from theelectromagnetic spray of the warning lights.

FIG. 11 is a schematic diagram illustrating the electrical connectionsbetween the controller and the circuit boards in FIG. 8.

FIG. 12 is a schematic diagram of the controller in FIG. 4.

FIG. 13 illustrates an embodiment in which external power and signalingcables running to the light bar are eliminated by providing one or morepower sources resident in the light bar and wireless receiver circuitryfor receiving small signal commands from a remote control source.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the electronic modules in oneembodiment of the light bar.

FIG. 15A is a schematic illustration of a wireless wide area networkincluding a wireless mesh network connecting fully integrated light barssuch as those illustrated in FIGS. 1-10 to a control center.

FIG. 15B is a schematic illustration of a wireless wide area networkincluding a wireless mesh network and a wireless point to multipointnetwork connecting fully integrated light bars such as those illustratedin FIGS. 1-10 to a control center.

FIG. 15C is a schematic illustration of a wireless wide area networkincluding a point to multipoint network connecting fully integratedlight bars such as those illustrated in FIGS. 1-10 to a control center.

FIG. 15D is a schematic illustration of a wireless wide area networkincluding a cellular network connecting fully integrated light bars suchas those illustrated in FIGS. 1-10 to a control center.

FIG. 16 is a perspective view of the light bar according to theembodiments of FIGS. 17, 17A, 17B, 17C with the assembly comprising oneof the end sections of the light bar exploded to more easily show thevarious parts.

FIG. 17 is a schematic diagram of a further embodiment of the inventionin which solar panels and battery packs internal to the housing of thelight bar are the primary power sources to operate the bar.

FIG. 17A depicts an alternative embodiment of the invention in which thebattery charger is equipped with a wireless energy device for tricklingcharging the battery pack.

FIG. 17B depicts still an alternative embodiment of the invention inwhich the battery charger trickle charges the battery pack through a farfield energy transfer device.

FIG. 17C depicts a further alternative embodiment in which a loadmanagement system is included in the interior of the light bar in orderto automatically and dynamically orchestrate the sources of power fordriving the electronics of the light bar.

While the following detailed description is made in connection withpreferred and alternative embodiments referencing the drawings, thedescription is not intended to limit the invention to those particularembodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover allalternatives and equivalents as may be included within the spirit andscope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

The following description is intended to convey the operation ofexemplary embodiments of the invention to those skilled in the art. Itwill be appreciated that this description is intended to aid the reader,not to limit the invention. As such, references to a feature or aspectof the invention are intended to describe a feature or aspect of anembodiment of the invention, not to imply that every embodiment of theinvention must have the described characteristic.

Turning to the drawings and referring first to FIG. 1, an emergencydevice 102 is in wireless communication with a mobile data terminal 164,a base station 106 and an outdoor warning siren 108. The emergencydevice 102 contains a number of monitoring, warning and response systemsas needed based on its deployment. For example, in one embodiment of theinvention, the emergency device 102 is attached to a police vehicle.When it is attached to a police vehicle, the emergency device 102 likelyincludes modules otherwise located in the vehicles interior spaces. Forexample, in the illustrated embodiment of FIG. 1, the device includes(1) a video camera 120 for streaming video signals to displays that maybe both in the vehicle and at remote locations, (2) a radar unit 110 fordetecting the speed of other vehicles, (3) a sensor 112 for detectingthe presence of chemical or biological agents, (4) a global positioningsystem (“GPS”) 114 providing the location of the emergency device, and(5) a license plate recognition system (“LPR”) 116 providing the licenseplate number of vehicles in the vicinity. In the illustrated embodiment,each of the modules 110-116 interfaces with a controller 118. Videocamera 120 provides video footage (e.g., streaming video) of an areanear the emergency device 102. The video camera or module 120 connectsto controller 118 or router 122 for routing the video to either anonboard storage or display at the mobile data terminal 164 or routingthe video to a remote terminal by way of the base station 106 or atransceiver associated with the outdoor warning siren 108. The outdoorwarning siren 108 connects to a wide area network (“WAN”) 109. The WANmay be a public network such as the internet or a private networkreserved for emergency use. The outdoor warning siren 108 connectsdirectly to the network 109 or connects through a gateway device.

The emergency device 102 also includes several wireless network devices.For example, the emergency device 102 also includes a land mobile radio(“LMR”) 124 for communicating with other emergency service personal overa variety of frequencies including the UHF and VHF bands. A voice overInternet Protocol (“VoIP”) module 126 of the emergency device 102 allowsa user of the device to transmit and receive voice messages overstandard data networks such as a network based on the IEEE 802.11standard. A wireless fidelity (“Wi-Fi”) module 128 transmits andreceives data over an IEEE 802.11 network. A transceiver 130 implementsa public safety radio operating at the 4.9 GHz frequency, which theUnited States Federal Communication Commission (FCC) has dedicated topublic safety applications.

Finally fuel cell 132 of the emergency device 102 provides power for theemergency device 102. Preferably, the fuel cell is incorporated in theemergency device 102 as suggested by the illustration in FIG. 1. Byproviding a power source within the emergency device 102, the device isfully self contained and can be easily and quickly retrofitted onto anyvehicle.

Although FIG. 1 depicts three transceiver modules, the LMR 124, Wi-Fi128 and the public safety radio 130, one skilled in the art oftelecommunications will appreciate that any appropriate wirelessstandard may be used to enable communication between the emergencydevice 102 and remote locations. For example, a cellular transceiver forconnection to cellular data or voice networks may be included in theemergency device 102. In general, any number of transceiver types may beemployed in the emergency device 102. For example, one Wi-Fi transceiver128 may provide all necessary communication links. Data signals canutilize the Wi-Fi link and voice may pass over the Wi-Fi link usingVoIP. On the other hand, a number of specialty transceivers may beemployed in the emergency device 102 in order to ensure a more robustcommunications environment. Embodiments of the emergency device 102 willbe more fully described below.

Emergency signaling systems of the type mounted to the roofs ofemergency vehicles are commonly called “light bars” because they aretypically shaped as bars traversing the roofs of vehicles. In keepingwith this convention, in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B the illustrated emergencysignaling system 134 is hereinafter referred to as a “light bar” sinceit is primarily intended for mounting to the roofs of emergency vehiclessuch as the roof 136 of the illustrated vehicle 138. However, thoseskilled in the art of emergency warning device will appreciate that thedevice described hereinafter as a light bar can take on a variety ofshapes and placements throughout a community as the need arises. In oneembodiment of the invention, emergency device 102 is integrated intolight bar 134 for a vehicle. The emergency device could be mounted toother types of mobile units such as boats and aircraft. Furthermore, theemergency device 102 could also be mounted to stationary objects such asa commercial or residential building in order to convert the building toa temporary emergency command center. In any event, details of theemergency device 102 are set forth below in connection with anembodiment in which the device is the light bar 134 for mounting to thevehicle 138.

In keeping with one embodiment of the emergency device, the light bar134 in FIGS. 2A and 2B connects wirelessly to a backhaul network 140, apublic safety network 142 and a public access network 144. In FIG. 2A,the light bar 134 is wired to the vehicle's power system 146 throughcables 148. A control head 150 in the passenger compartment of thevehicle 138 allows an occupant in the vehicle to control the lights andmodules 110-130 in the light bar 134. The control head 150 connects tocontrol unit 152 through wires 154 in order to communicate controlsignals to the modules 110-130 in the light bar 134. The control unit152 in the illustrated embodiment provides control functions for otheremergency signaling apparatus associated with the vehicle 138. Forexample, the control unit 152 may also serve a siren. The operator ofthe vehicle 138 preferably mounts the control head 150 to thedashboard/instrument panel area 156 to the right of the steering wheel158 for easy access. Although the control unit 152 is depicted mountedin the trunk of the vehicle, it may be mounted elsewhere within thevehicle. For example, control unit 152 may be mounted under thedashboard area 156.

Keystrokes to a keypad incorporated into the control head 150 generatecontrol signals and the control head provides the signals to the controlunit 152 by way of cables 154, which in turn communicates signals to thecontrol unit 160 (FIG. 4) within the light bar 134 by way of cable 162.A control system such as Federal Signal's Smart Siren™ system is asuitable example of the illustrated control system for certainembodiments of the invention.

In FIG. 2B, the light bar 134 is in wireless communication with a mobiledata terminal (“MDT”) 164, enabling the light bar to be completely freeof external wiring if the power source (e.g., fuel cell and/or solarcell) is contained in the light bar. The MDT 164 replaces the controlhead 150 in FIG. 2A and controls the lights and modules 110-130 in thelight bar 134. MDT 164 may be a conventional laptop computer equippedwith a wireless network interface card (NIC). Preferable as explainedhereinafter, the MDT 164 includes a touch screen 164 a allowing the userto interact with the light bar by simply touching appropriate areas ofthe screen as prompted by a user interface displayed on the screen.

Any appropriate wireless standard can be used to connect the MDT 164 andthe light bar 134. Examples of appropriate standards include Wi-Fi a, b,g, or n as defined by the Institute of Electrical and ElectronicsEngineers (“IEEE”) in the 802.11 specification. Additionally Bluetooth,Wireless USB or Zigbee, which are all based on IEEE 802.15, can be usedas the standard between the MDT 164 and the light bar 134. A usercontrols the system by entering commands into the MDT 164. Commands areentered into the MDT through any appropriate means including use of akeyboard, touch screen 164 a or voice recognition software. Commandsentered into the MDT are transmitted to the light bar 134 via thewireless network. The MDT 164 can display information gathered by themodules 110-130 located in the light bar 134. For example, in oneembodiment of the invention live video from the video camera 120 isdisplayed on the screen 164 a. Speeds of passing vehicles detected bythe radar unit 110 are displayed by the MDT 164. Additionally, the MDT164 displays the license plates of passing vehicles detected by the LPR116 module.

FIG. 3 illustrates one embodiment of the interface for a touch screen164 a integrated into the MDT 164. The touch screen 164 a includes a LMRinterface 171 that either replaces or is in addition to the standardradio controls already located within the vehicle for communicating withthe LMR 124. The interface 171 includes buttons on the touch screen 164a for operating the land mobile radio (LMR) 124 in much the same manneras is accomplished with a conventional, dedicated control head for theLMR that includes mechanical knobs and switches. For example, the userinterface 171 provides a volume control 173, a SOS button 175, afrequency control 177, a push to talk control 179 and a squelch button181.

A light and siren interface 183 controls the light assemblies and sirenmounted on a vehicle. The interface 183 includes a primary lights button185, a secondary lights button 187 and a flasher rear button 189. A takedown button 191, right alley button 193 and left alley button 195operate additional light assemblies. The display 197 indicates the modethat the light assemblies are operating in. Directional control 199allows the operator to enable flashing directional lighting assemblies.Finally, siren control 201 enables various siren modes.

Module panel 203 displays the current readings for various modules110-132 housed in the light bar. For example, the license platerecognition system display 205 indicates the license plate number ofnearby vehicles. The radar 207 shows the speed of nearby vehicles. TheGPS 209 shows a map with nearby emergency vehicles as well as thelocation of the occupied vehicle. The traffic video 211 shows live videofeeds from traffic monitoring cameras located throughout a community.The air quality sensors 213 display information regarding community airquality. Clicking a sensor display expands the display window to a fullscreen mode. For example, if a user touches the traffic video display211, it will expand to fill the entire screen.

In another embodiment, the user interface of the touch screen 164 a maybe similar to the user interface illustrated and described in U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/505,642, filed Aug. 17, 2006 (now U.S.Pat. No. 7,746,794) and entitled “Integrated Municipal ManagementConsole,” which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety foreverything it describes.

In order to control the devices in the module panel 203 of the userinterface 164 a, selection of any of the icons 205, 207, 209, 211 and213 causes a dialog box or window to appear on the touch screen such asthe one illustrated in FIG. 3A for the traffic video icon 211. In FIG. 3a, the user interface 164 b may be a window or dialog box that appearsover the user interface 164 a in FIG. 3. Alternatively, the userinterface 164 b may appear in substitution for the user interface 164 a.In either event, the user interface 164 b presents to the user variouscontrols for the video camera 120 in FIG. 1. The touch screen interface164 b either replaces or is in addition to standard controls for thevideo camera 120. The interface 164 a includes buttons on the touchscreen 164 b for operating the video camera 120 in much the same manneras is accomplished with a conventional, dedicated control head for thecamera, which includes mechanical knobs and switches. The video display241 displays a live image from the camera 120 mounted in the emergencydevice 102 or from remote cameras whose signal is received over thenetwork connection. Additionally, the video display 241 displaysrecorded images taken by the camera 120 or images recorded by anothercamera and made available for playback on the display 241.

The user interface 164 b contemplates more than one camera 120 in theemergency device 102. In this regard, the user interface 164 b includestouch buttons 243 and 245 for selecting front and rear cameras,respectively. A volume control 247 adjusts the audio volume associatedwith a video. The “rew” touch button 249 rewinds a recorded videosegment. The “rec” touch button 251 toggles the record feature of thevideo camera 120 and MDT 164. The play touch button 253 plays backrecorded video. The stop touch button 255 stops video play back. The“FF” touch button 257 fast forwards recorded video. The zoom control 259zooms in and zooms out of a video image. The pan/tilt control 261rotates the video image up and down and left and right. The contrasttouch button 263 and brightness touch button 265 control the contrastand brightness of the image, respectively. The image search interface267 and audio search interface 269 allow a user to search for images andaudio segments in stored video files.

Returning to the touch screen 164 a in FIG. 3, it includes buttons foraccessing various computer programs and resources. For example, e-mailbutton 217 launches a user's email program. Similarly, the InternetExplorer® button 219 launches Microsoft's internet browser. The reportsbutton 221 launches various reports or forms for reports maintainedlocally or at a remote server. One or more of the broadband wirelessconnections provides the link to the remote server. Maps button 223launches mapping software, which presents maps to the user stored eitherlocally or at a remote server. The traffic control button 225 launches aprogram whose interface enables the user to control traffic intersectionlights. Touching the criminal records button 227 launches a program thatenables access to criminal records stored either locally or at a remoteserver. The building plans button 229 gives the user access to databasesof building plans for various buildings stored either locally or at aremote server. Similarly, the medical records button 231 allows a userto search databases of medical records maintained either locally or at aremote server. The fire hydrants button 233 launches a program thatdisplays the location of nearby fire hydrants. The virtual privatenetwork (VPN) client 239 provides a secure connection over otherwisepublic networks to the first responder's server to access remotedatabases containing confidential information such as police records.While the VPN client button may allow for browsing of remote databases,the data sheets button 235 allows a user to search remote data sheets,which may contain information such as details of particular types ofchemicals involved in a chemical spill. The procedures button displaysprocedures 237 for handling situations faced by first responders at ascene of an emergency. For example, a data sheet may provide guidancefor dealing with a heart attack victim or how best to react to a waterrescue.

Information such as voice and data signals sent over a wide area network(“WAN”) and received by one of the transceivers LMR 124, Wi-Fi 128 orpublic safety 130 can be forwarded to the MDT 164 through the wirelessconnection between it and the light bar 134. These messages can eitherbe displayed on the MDT's screen or audibly played over speakers eitherin the vehicle or in the MDT. Messages originating as voice signals canbe play directly. Messages originating as data signals can be convertedto voice signals by use of commercially available text-to-speechsoftware and played audibly over speakers in the vehicle.

In one embodiment of the emergency device 102, a transceiver sends andreceives messages encoded in data packets, an exemplary one of which isillustrated below. The data packet includes a header with informationindicating the beginning of a packet. An encryption section containsinformation related to the encryption of the packet. An address sectionmay contain items such as the emergency device's IP address and MACaddress and the packet's destination IP address and MAC address. Thedata section contains the packet's payload. The payload includes thedata to be transmitted. One skilled in the art of communications willrecognize that data packets may consist of various fields and are notlimited to the specific fields recited. For example, the data format maybe TCP/IP based and include IEEE 802.1x compatibility.

Header Encryption Address Payload

FIG. 4 depicts a lower portion of the light bar 134 whose top half isbest seen in FIGS. 7 and 8. From the controller 160 in FIG. 4, theoperation of the light bar modules are directly controlled in accordancewith signals generated at the control head 150 or MDT 164. Installers ofthe light bar 134 typically strategically place cables 154 and 162 (FIG.2A) within the interior of the vehicle 138 so they are the leastconspicuous and require the least modification of the standard interiorfeatures. In this regard, serial connections among the control head 150,the control unit 152 and the controller 160 in the light bar 134minimizes the number of wires comprising the cables 154 and 162. Each ofthe two cables 154 and 162 includes two data-carrying wires forbi-directional serial communications. Separate cabling from a battery146 carries power and reference ground wires to the control units 152and 160, which in turn deliver the power to the modules in the light bar134. In an alternative embodiment illustrated in FIG. 2B, the controlsignals are electromagnetic signals that propagate through the air sothat the cables are not needed for controlling the light bar 134. In afurther alternative embodiment also illustrated in FIG. 2B, the cables154 and 162 are entirely eliminated by providing one or more powersources in and/or on the light bar 134.

In the illustrated embodiment, the controller 160 is mounted to thelower housing of the light bar 134. However, the controller 160 can beplaced anywhere within or near the light bar 134. The electricalconnection between the controller 160 and the modules is describedhereinafter in connection with the illustration of FIG. 10. Looking atthe lower portion of the light bar 134 depicted in FIG. 4, a channel 162receives a rechargeable battery at location 165 for providing power tothe modules 110-132 and warning lights (e.g., light emitting diodes,strobes and/or halogens) housed within the light bar. With both abattery and a wireless connection between the light bar 134 and the MDT164, the light bar is mounted to the vehicle 138 without the need to runany wiring 148, 162 and 154 through the vehicle. Thus, the light bar 134is easily installed on the roof 136 and the MDT 164 is easily installedin the interior of the vehicle 138.

Various known fastening systems may be used to secure the light bar 134to the roof 136 of the vehicle 138. For example, Federal SignalCorporation's U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,682 provides one exemplary means ofattaching the light bar 134 to the vehicle 138. U.S. Pat. No. 6,966,682is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for everythingthat it describes. The MDT 164 can be powered by the battery 146 or itcan operate from power provided by a fuel cell or solar panels.

Another exemplary means for fastening the light bar 134 to the vehicle138 is illustrated in FIGS. 5A and 5B. The light bar 134 is mounted onthe roof 136 of the vehicle 138 by means of fasteners such as theillustrated mounting hooks (1202 a and 1202 b). The light bar 134 can behook, flat, or permanently mounted on the vehicle roof. FIGS. 5A and 5Billustrate the installation of the light bar 134 on vehicles with andwithout gutter, respectively. In general, the mounting hook (1202 a or1202 b) is provided on each side of the vehicle 138 to affix the lightbar 134 onto the vehicle roof. One end section of the mounting hook(1202 a or 1202 b) is inserted and affixed between the roof gasket 1206and the roof metal part 1204. In particular, for vehicles with guttersas shown in FIG. 5A, the end section of the mounting hook 1202 a isprovided with a curve which securely attaches to the gutter of thevehicle roof and is held in place by the gasket 1206. For vehicleswithout gutter as shown in FIG. 5B, the end section of the mounting hook1202 b is first inserted between the gasket 1206 and the vehicle roof1204 and held in placed through one or more hook mounting screws 1212.

As further shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the body of the mounting hook (1202a or 1202 b) has a contour following that of the vehicle roof 136.Mounting pad 1214 may be provided between the mounting hook and thevehicle roof 1204 to provide additional support. As further shown FIGS.5A and 5B, the other end section of the mounting hook (1202 a or 1202 b)is raised so that it faces towards a mounting pad 1216 of the light bar134. A mounting bolt (1210 a or 1210 b) is then used to secure the lightbar 134 through the mounting pad 1216 and the mounting hook (1202 a or1202 b).

The location 165 in the channel 162 containing a battery 166 can betterbe seen in FIG. 6, which is a cross sectional view of FIG. 4 taken alongthe 5 a-5 a. In addition to or as an alternative to fuel cells, channel162 can house a fuel cell for internally powering the light bar lightsand modules 110-132. The fuel cell produces electricity from a fuelsupply and oxygen. A typical fuel cell uses hydrogen and oxygen asreactants on the anode side and cathode side, although other fuels maybe used. Suitable fuel cells are commercially available from a number ofcompanies such as Adaptive Materials, Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich. andCellTech Power LLC of Westborough, Mass.

In one embodiment of the light bar 134, several, large area circuitboards provide the platform support for the warning lights in the lightbar. One of the circuit boards 168 is depicted in FIG. 7A and FIG. 7B.Preferably, the circuit board is composed of a composition thatmaintains its structural and electrical integrity over the ambientconditions of the light bar 134. In this regard, the light bar 134 isdirectly exposed to weather conditions in the area it is placed inservice, which can include both hot and cold weather extremes. Also,some of the types of the light beam assemblies and modules 110-132 haveattributes that may impose additional requirements on the circuit board.For example, some light beam assemblies produce significant amounts ofheat, making the heat sinking capacity of the circuit board an importantcharacteristic. Specifically, light emitting diodes (LEDs) requireadequate heat sinking support in order for the LEDs to operate at theirgreatest efficiency. In addition, some of the modules contain sensitiveelectronics, which require environments relatively free ofelectromagnetic interference such as the electromagnetic spray generatedby the light modules, power source and other modules in the light bar134. In addition, the printed circuit board is a structural component inthe light bar assembly in that it provides a platform for supporting themodules in addition to the warning light assemblies.

Given the foregoing considerations and requirements, suitable circuitboards for the invention presently available include but are not limitedto the following: Fiberglass, phenolic, aluminum (e.g., Berquistboards), steel and ceramic printed circuit board materials. Regardlessof the specific composition, the boards need to be structurally robustto environmental conditions that include temperature cycling over anexpected wide range that the light bar will be exposed to wherever it isoperating. Some specific examples of aluminum products and sources ofsuitable boards are ELPOR™ by ECA Electronics of Leavenworth, Kans. andAnotherm™ of TT Electronics PLC of Clive House 12-18, Queens Road,Weybridge Surrey KT13 9XB, England. Moreover, conventionalfiberglass-based circuit boards may also provide a basic build block fora suitable board. Multi-layered fiberglass boards by M-Wave™ ofBensenville, Ill., U.S.A. can provide the necessary structural strengthand they can be fabricated to have the desired thermal properties byincorporating large ground and power planes into the board and multiple“pass throughs” or “vias.”

Turning to FIG. 7A, an exemplary embodiment of a circuit board 168 inkeeping with the invention includes four areas or stations 170 a, 170 b,170 c and 170 d for fastening light beam assemblies 172 to the board168. Each of the areas 170 a-170 d includes connections for variouslight beam assemblies 172 illustrated in FIG. 7A. One skilled in the artof emergency lighting will recognize that many types of warning lightassemblies can be installed on the circuit board. Appropriate examplesinclude, but are not limited to light emitting diodes (“LEDs”) andhalogen warning light assemblies. Further, the assemblies can be in afixed orientation or may be capable of oscillating. The warning lightassemblies in FIG. 7A include six (6) LEDs collectively identified as174 and a reflector 176.

The LEDs 174 are laid down on the circuit board 168 as part of theboard's fabrication process. In this regard, the circuit board 168includes conductive paths leading from a connector 178 mounted along anedge of an opening in the board. As discussed in further detailhereinafter, the connector 178 mates with a connector 180 of a cable 182that has an opposing end connected to the controller 160. The cable 182carries power and control signals to the board 168. Electrical leadlines in the circuit board 168 carry power and control signals to theelectronic components (e.g., drivers) and LEDs 174 and to all othertypes of light beam assemblies and modules on the circuit board 168.

FIG. 7B illustrates the opposite or second side of board 168 shown inFIG. 7A. Light assembly 172 is visible on the bottom of the board 168.The illustrated embodiment depicts four modules mounted on the board.The video camera 184 provides video surveillance of an area near thelight bar 134. For example, the video camera may be an Axis 211 networkcamera by Axis Communications AB, Emdalavägen 14, SE-223 69, Lund,Sweden. The Wi-Fi transceiver 186 provides wireless network connectivityto IEEE 802.11 compatible networks. An example of the Wi-Fi transceiveris a HotPort 3100/PS, which is a multi-spectrum transceiver capable ofoperating in the IEEE 802.11 2.4 GHz and 5.0 GHz bands and in the 4.9GHz public safety band. The HotPort 3100/PS is a wireless mesh networknode suitable for broadband data, video, and voice (VoIP) communication.The HotPort 3100/PS is available from Firetide, Inc., 16795 Lark Ave.,Suite 200, Los Gatos, Calif. 95032, U.S.A. Appropriate networkconfigurations will be discussed hereinafter with reference to FIG. 12.The GPS unit 188 provides the location of the emergency device 102 ascurrently depicted in a light bar 134. Appropriate GPS units areavailable from One Track, Inc. of Phoenix, Ariz., U.S.A. The LPR unit190 provides the license plate numbers of nearby vehicles. An example ofappropriate LPR unit 190 is AutoFind available from Autovu Technologies,Inc. of Montreal, Québec, Canada.

A wide variety of modules can be mounted on the board 168 in variousconfigurations in order to perform monitoring and response activities.The cable 180 provides control signals, data signals and power from thecontroller 160 for the modules 184-190. Each of the modules 184-190 canbe soldered directly to the board 168, or may be fitted with a plug thatis received by a socket on the board. By constructing the modules andcircuit board 168 with a plug and socket arrangement, the combinationsof modules in the light bar 134 are variable and amenable tocustomization to fit any desired configuration. In fact, for a fullyintegrated light bar 134 in which the power supply is contained in thelight bar, any combination of modules can be easily and quickly placedinto the circuit board 168 and the light bar attached to a vehicle so asto provide a light bar that best serves the requirements of a particularemergency condition requiring the vehicle to be retrofitted and put intoemergency service.

The electrical connections from a module to the board 168 may be madethrough the socket, by direct connection or through use of a cable. Forexample the Wi-Fi module 186 is depicted with a direct connection to theboard 168. In contrast, the GPS module 188 is depicted connecting to theboard 168 via a cable 192 connected to a plug 194 on the circuit board.In general, each of the modules can use any appropriate connectionmethod of connecting to the board. Additionally, modules do not have tobe mounted to a board 168 at all, but may be mounted directly to thelight bar 134. Finally, the emergency device 102, comprising variousmodules 110-132, does not have to take the form of a light bar. Forexample, the emergency device 102 may be built into a body of a vehicledesigned for emergency services such as fire trucks and ambulances. Thedevice may be in an undercover police vehicle. Other public servicevehicles such as street sweepers may also incorporate the emergencydevice 102. Still further, the device can be integrated in to stationaryplatforms such as emergency sirens mounted to poles distributed througha community. The devices may also be equipped with portable platformsthat allow the devices to be deployed as needed for any specialcircumstances.

In the fully populated light bar 134 depicted in FIG. 8, the lowerhousing 198 of the light bar houses five (5) circuit boards 196 a, 196b, 196 c, 196 d and 196 e of the type illustrated in FIGS. 7A and 7B.The upper housing 200 is exploded away from the lower housing 198 inorder to show the circuit boards mounted to the interior of the lightbar 134. The light assemblies 172 are mounted on the underside of thecircuit boards 196 a-196 e and are thus in the lower housing of thelight bar. The transceiver module 202 mounted on circuit board 196 aprovides wireless communications with a network such as a Wi-Fi networktypically running at 2.4 GHz or 5 GHz. The transceiver 202 connects withantenna 204 thru cable 206 in order to broadcast and receive messages.In the illustrated embodiment, the antenna 204 is mounted to the housingof the light bar. However, the antenna 204 may alternatively be mountedto the circuit board and either fully enclosed within the housing orextending through a hole in the housing that includes a water tightseal. The radar module 208 provides the speed of nearby vehicles. Cameramodules 210 a and 210 b provide video surveillance facing the front andrear of the light bar 134. A second transceiver 212 acts as the landmobile radio (LMR). Cable 214 connects the transceiver 212 with theantenna 216. GPS module 218 provides location information. LPR 220provides the license plate number of nearby vehicles. Transceiver 222connects to the public safety network, typically running at 4.9 GHz. Thecable 224 connects the transceiver 222 to its associated antenna 226.Each of the modules connects to its associated circuit board thru eithera direct connection or a cable 192. The circuit boards may connectdirectly to one another or may connect to the controller 160 through useof a cable 180. Any number or combination of modules may be utilized byembodiments of the light bar 134, depending on expected uses of theemergency device 102. Further, the modules depicted in FIG. 8 can beoriented in a variety of ways within the light bar 134 and theparticular layout depicted in the figure represents only one embodiment.Referring to FIG. 9, in an alternative embodiment of the light bar 134the circuit boards 196 a-196 e in the embodiment of FIG. 8 are replacedwith a single board 230. The circuit board 230 in FIG. 9 providessimilar functionality to the circuit boards 196 a-196 e in FIG. 8. Likethe multiple boards of the embodiment in FIG. 8, the ground plane of theboard 230 separates the interior space of the light bar into top andbottom sections. The electromagnetically noisy warning lights arecontained in the bottom section of the light bar and substantiallyelectromagnetically isolated by the ground plane from the sensitivemodules mounted on the top surface of the board facing the top sectionof the interior space of the light bar.

In yet another embodiment of the light bar 134, the upper housing 200includes a solar panel 228 for providing power to the electrical devicein the light bar. The solar panel 228 can be integrated into the upperhousing 200 or separately attached to the housing. The solar panel 228directly provides power to the light bar 134 or alternatively it worksin conjunction with the battery 165. If a fuel cell is included as oneof the power sources, the solar panel powers electrolyzers for hydrogenproduction. The hydrogen is then used as a fuel for the fuel cell. Powersources for the light bar 134 will be more fully described hereinafter.

Electromagnetic interference (“EMI”) is caused by changes to electricalsignals. EMI can induce unwanted electrical signals in other circuits,which are commonly referred to as noise. Rapidly changing signalsproduce EMI in frequency regions that potentially are in the samefrequency domain as desired communications and data signals.Additionally, higher power signals produce stronger EMI. Physicallymoving sensitive circuitry away from sources of EMI tends to mitigatethe effect of the EMI on the circuitry. However, with the electricalmodules integrated into the light bar 134, these circuits do not benefitfrom the attenuation of the EMI brought about by the physically distancefrom the EMI source. Warning lights quickly turning on and off, electricmotors and high power requirements all contribute to EMI. Sensitiveelectronics do not operate efficiently in the presence of EMI. Forexample, digital clock speeds must be reduced in order to ensure properoperation of circuits. Transceivers loose both data range and data ratebecause of EMI.

FIG. 10A, FIG. 10B and FIG. 10C show appropriate methods of minimizingEMI within the light bar 134. FIGS. 10A-10C illustrate three alternativeshielding methods for creating an electromagnetically quite area in thetop section of the light bar, which is hospitable to the electronicmodules. FIGS. 10A and 10B illustrate ground planes in circuit boardsthat function to create an upper section of the light bar 134 that issubstantially isolated from the EMI generated from the warning lights inthe bottom section. The circuit boards can be made with variousmaterials. One common material is Flame Resistant 4 (“FR-4”). FR-4 is afiberglass material with a resin epoxy. FIGS. 10A and 10B show theconstruction of two alternative boards for the light bar 134 illustratedin FIGS. 1-9.

The board in FIG. 10A is made of FR-4 material, but other boardmaterials may be used. In the illustrated board of FIG. 10A, there arefive (5) layers with layer 5 representing the bottom of the board onwhich the warning light assemblies 172 and LEDs 174 are mounted. Anyadditional components needed by the light assemblies and LEDs, such asresisters and capacitors and the necessary board traces are on layer 5.Layer 4 contains the power plain. The power plane can contain bothdigital and analog islands as needed to minimize noise. Layer 3 is thesignal plane. The signal plane is isolated from the warning lightassemblies 172 by the power plane 234. Further, the signal plane isisolated from the modules 110-132 mounted on the top of the board by theground plane in layer 2. Thus, inherently sensitive, high-speed signalscan be routed on layer 3 and shielded from noisy components on the topand bottom of the board. Layer 1 is the top of the board where themodules 110-132 are mounted. Many of the modules require a relativequiet EMI environment. For example, EMI can result in the radar unit 110returning incorrect speeds for passing vehicles. The video recorder 120may not record a clean image if excessive EMI is present. Finally, thetransceivers 124, 128 and 130 need a quiet EMI environment to maximizeboth their range and data rate. The ground plane in layer 2 238 providesnecessary isolation for the modules 110-132 without the need toadditional shielding.

FIG. 10B represents the cross sectional view of a board made ofAnotherm™ by TT Electronics PLC. The board material 242 acts as anatural ground plane. Therefore, the modules 110-132 mounted on the topof the board 244 are isolated from the light assemblies 172 mounted onthe bottom of the board 246.

FIG. 10C illustrates an additional or alternative grounded shieldingplane 248 for the modules, particularly antennas 204, 216 and 226connected to the transceivers 202, 212 and 222. The grounded shieldingplane 248 may be required as additional grounding for the antennasdepending on the specific configuration of warning light assemblies 172and modules 110-132. The ground plane 248 should be made of a conductivematerial and for the best isolation, the plane should substantiallycover the surface of the circuit boards 196 a-196 e. Other methods ofminimizing interference due to EMI can be utilized. For example,electrical filtering such as high/low pass filters may be added. Themodules most sensitive to EMI may be housed or wrapped in groundedshielding. The most sensitive electronic devices can also be physicallylocated as far apart as possible from the noisiest sources of EMI.

Referring to FIG. 11, each of the circuit boards 127, 129, 131 and 133includes a connector substantially like the connector 178 of circuitboard 168 in FIG. 7 that mates to a connector 180 of a cable 182communicating power and control signals to the circuit board. As bestseen in FIG. 4, the circuit board of the controller 160 includes aconnector for coupling to a cable from each of the circuit boards 168,127, 129, 131 and 133 that are populated with light beam assemblies.Thus, the circuit board for the controller 160 includes five connectorsfor coupling to five cables from the five circuit boards 168, 127, 129,131 and 133. A sixth connector on the circuit board of the controller160 connects to a cable from the control unit 152 that delivers powerand control signals to the light bar 134.

Referring to FIG. 11, the controller 160 interprets a serial stream ofinput data generated by keystrokes to the keyboard of the control head150. The serial data includes information identifying one of severalavailable flash patterns for one or more of the light beam assemblies.The flash patterns are stored as data in a memory in the controller 160.

The RS485 transceiver sends and receives balanced, digital signalsthrough the RJ45 connector. The transceiver takes the difference of thereceived signals and passes the result to the main microcontroller andthe Signalmaster™ microcontroller in the form of a single ended digitaldata stream. The Signalmaster™ microcontroller is a product of FederalSignal Corporation of Oak Brook, Ill., U.S.A.

Based upon the data received in the stream, each of the microcontrollersin FIG. 12 acts based upon embedded software. Examples of functionsperformed by the microcontroller include sending serial flash patternstreams to the shift registers to create a preprogrammed flash pattern.Other examples include powering down the light bar's circuitry tominimize parasitic current when the system is not being used.

The shift registers store the pattern data for each clock cycle andoutput a digital control signal to the LED drive circuitry. This controlsignal tells the LED circuitry to activate the LEDs or keep them in anOFF state. Combinations of these digital control signal streams going tomultiple heads/LED drive circuits create the random or synchronizedvisual light patterns commonly seen in the patterns created by lightbars.

Power to the circuit boards is preferably provided by power sourceslocal to the light bar 134, thereby eliminating the need to provide apower cable from the vehicle 136 to the light bar 134. For example, asillustrated in FIG. 13, one or both of a fuel cell 276 and an array ofsolar cells 278 generate sufficient energy to power all of theelectronics in the light bar 134. A suitable hydrogen fuel cell is NabII available from Jadoo Power Systems of Folsom, Calif., U.S.A., andsuitable solar cells are available from BP Solar of Warrenville, Ill.,U.S.A. The fuel cell 276 is mounted to an interior space of the lightbar 134, whereas the array of solar cells 278 is mounted to an externalsurface of the light bar such as the top section 19 d of the housing 19in FIGS. 1, 8 and 11. Of course, both the fuel cell 276 and the array ofsolar cells 278 can be located elsewhere and even on the vehicle 136itself.

There may be times when the solar cells 278 produce energy that is notimmediately used by the light bar 134. In those situations, an energystorage device 358 stores the energy so that it can be later used by thelight bar. For example, the solar cells may produce more energy thanused by the light bar during a sunny day. That unused energy is storedin the storage device 358 and used when the solar cell is unable toprovide sufficient power such as in the evening or during cloudy dayconditions. Of course, the fuel cell 276 can also supplement the solarcells, but it cannot be easily charged with the unused energy from thesolar cells 278, thus requiring a storage device 358 such as a batteryor the previously identified ultra capacitor. In order to orchestratethe storage of energy and the delivery of the energy to the light barfrom among the three sources of the fuel cell 276, the array of solarcells and the storage device, an appropriate power supply circuitswitches among or blends the energy from these sources. The power supplycircuit can be made part of the controller 160 or constructedseparately.

As a further alternative, the light bar 134 can be made completelywireless by providing a transceiver 359 (FIG. 13) with the controller160 so that the control signal from the control head 150 are deliveredto the controller 41 as electromagnetic signals 361, which arepreferably short range radio frequency signals. The control head 150provides its control signals to a transceiver 363, which broadcasts thecontrol signals as low power RF signals to the transceiver 359. Forexample, the electromagnetic link 361 between the controller 150 and thecontrol head 150 may be in accordance with the well known Bluetoothprotocol, which is maintained by the Institute of Electrical andElectronic Engineers (IEEE) as its 802.15.1 standard. However, thosefamiliar with low power RF communications will appreciate that manyother communications protocols can be used, including other IEEEstandards. Those skilled in the art of short distance wirelesscommunications will appreciate that a receiver may be substituted forthe transceiver 359 if the communications path is one way between thecontrol head 150 and the controller 160. Likewise, a transmitter may besubstituted for the transceiver 363.

FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram of the circuitry in the light bar 134with fuel cell 276 and solar cell 278. In the schematic diagram, thefuel cell 276 and solar cell 278 each feed a regulator 282. Theregulator maintains a constant voltage to the light bar 134. The solarcell 278 charges the battery 280 so that the light bar can keepoperating in dim light and at night.

The MDT 164 accepts signals via a Bluetooth IEEE 802.15 network. In oneembodiment of the light bar, the signals include voice commands andvoice messages broadcast over a network. Data broadcast over the networkmay be broadcast over the LMR 262 or either of the transceivers 254 and260. A variety of companies including Motorola and Nokia makeappropriate Bluetooth headsets 273. A user wears a hands free headset273 so that commands are issued without distracting from the user'sother duties and activities.

The MDT 164 includes a display 164 a. Preferably, the display is a touchscreen as discussed above in connection with FIG. 3 so that the user canenter commands by simply touching the screen. However, other types ofdisplays can be substituted for the touch screen or may complement it.For example, a conventional liquid crystal display can be used as thedisplay 164 a. A computer 250 controls the display 164 a, provides akeyboard for entering commands and receives commands and voice messagesfrom the Bluetooth headset 273. The computer 250 transmits commands andreceives messages from the emergency device 102 in the light bar 134. Inone embodiment of the light bar 134, the computer 250 uses a transceiver252 compliant with the IEEE 802.11 specification for transmitting datato the light bar 134 over a Wi-Fi network. In one embodiment of theinvention, the display 164 a, computer 250 and radio 252 are integratedinto a single laptop computer acting as the MDT 164 as illustrated inFIGS. 1 and 2B.

The light bar 134 receives commands from the MDT 164 over a Wi-Finetwork. The transceiver 254 connects to a router 256, which forwardsdata packets from the transceiver 254 across the network. The router 256is of conventional design and may be any of several commerciallyavailable models. For example, the MDT 164 issues a command for thevideo camera 258 to begin recording. The command is transmitted to thelight bar 134 and received by the transceiver 254. The transceiver sendsthe data to the router. The video camera 258 has an Ethernet portconforming to the IEEE 802.3 protocol. The camera 258 connects directlyto the Ethernet router 256 using a standard Ethernet cable. The routerthereby forwards the command issued by the MDT 164 to the camera 258. Inresponse to the command, the camera 258 begins recording. Additionally,the camera 258 sends the video signal to the MDT 164 via the router 256and the transceiver 254. The MDT 164 displays the live video feed on thedisplay 164 a. Other devices with an Ethernet port, such as the publicsafety radio 260 connect directly to the router. In one embodiment ofthe light bar 134, all modules contain an Ethernet port for directconnection to the router 256.

The light bar 134 receives commands from the MDT 164 over a Wi-Finetwork. The transceiver 254 connects to a router 256, which forwardsdata packets from the transceiver 254 across the network. The router 256is of conventional design and may be any of several commerciallyavailable models. For example, the MDT 164 issues a command for thevideo camera 258 to begin recording. The command is transmitted to thelight bar 134 and received by the transceiver 254. The transceiver sendsthe data to the router. The video camera 258 has an Ethernet portconforming to the IEEE 802.3 protocol. The camera 258 connects directlyto the Ethernet router 256 using a standard Ethernet cable. The routerthereby forwards the command issued by the MDT 164 to the camera 258. Inresponse to the command, the camera 258 begins recording. Additionally,the camera 258 sends the video signal to the MDT 164 via the router 256and the transceiver 254. The MDT 164 displays the live video feed on thedisplay 164 a. Other devices with an Ethernet port, such as the publicsafety radio 260 connect directly to the router. In one embodiment ofthe light bar 134, all modules contain an Ethernet port for directconnection to the router 256.

Devices without an Ethernet port connect to a controller 264. Thecontroller 264 interfaces with each module and a serial to Ethernetconverter 271, which provides an interface between the controller andthe router 256. The converter 271 translates data packets forwarded bythe router 256 and then the controller 264 sends commands to each of theconnected modules, which include in the illustrated embodiment the radarunit 266, biological and chemical sensors 268, the LPR 270 and the GPS272. The controller 264 also interfaces with the warning lightassemblies 274. For example, a user turns on the lights by way ofcommands entered at the MDT 164. The MDT sends the command over theWi-Fi network to the transceiver 254. The transceiver forwards the datato the router 256 and the router forwards the data packet to theconverter 271, which in turn provides serial commands to the controller264. The controller 264 interprets the serial commands and turns on thelights 274. Similarly, a user controls the GPS 272, LPR 270, sensors 268and radar 266 from the MDT 164. Likewise, modules send data to the MDT164. For example, the radar 266 detects the speed of nearby vehicles.The radar sends the speed data to the controller 264, which outputs aserial data stream to the converter 271. The converter 271 formats thespeed data as an Ethernet data packet and sends the packet to the router256. The router forwards the packet the transceiver 254 where it is sentover the Wi-Fi network to the MDT 164. The MDT formats and displays thespeed. A user thereby receives real time information on the speeds ofnearby vehicles.

The controller 264 also interfaces with the land mobile radio (LMR) 262.Voice and data messages from either the light bar or the MDT are sentover the LMR 262 or the public safety radio 260. Additional transceiversare added to the system for connecting to additional networks, such as acellular telephone network or a community Wi-Fi mesh network amongothers. Additional modules may be housed in the light bar 134 andmodules may be removed from the light bar 134 as necessary for a givenexpected emergency. By way of example, controller 264 may be a Terra3Intelligent RTU (Remote Terminal Unit) from Federal Signal Corporation,Oak Brook, Ill., U.S.A. The converter 271 may be a TS900 Series serialto Ethernet converter by EtherWAN Systems, Inc., Via Rodeo, Placentia,Calif. 92870, U.S.A.

FIG. 15A depicts a community Wi-Fi mesh network for use by oneembodiment of the light bar 134. Towers 286 a, 286 b, 206 c and 286 dact as nodes within the mesh network, routing data as needed amongthemselves and to the backhaul system 288 for connection to the Internet290. Various devices with Wi-Fi capabilities can connect wirelessly tothe mesh network thru the towers 286. Vehicles 284 a, 284 b and 284 care each equipped with a light bar 285 a, 285 b and 285 c, respectively,as described above. Each of the light bars connects to the Wi-Fi meshnetwork using an 802.11 compliant transceiver in the light bar 285.Using the MDTs in the vehicles 284, occupants of the vehicles send datato the control center 292. In one embodiment, vehicle 284 a records livevideo with a video module in light bar 285 a. The occupant of vehicle284 a sends the live video feed over the Wi-Fi network using atransceiver in the light bar 285 a. The transceiver connects to tower286 a and the video feed is forwarded to the backhaul system 288. Thebackhaul delivers the video feed to the control center 292 eitherdirectly or via the internet 290 as indicated in FIG. 11A. The U.S.patent application Ser. No. 11/505,642, filed Aug. 17, 2006, now issuedas U.S. Pat. No. 7,746,794, and entitled “Integrated MunicipalManagement Console” depicts one embodiment of the control center. Inkeeping with the description in the '794 patent, personnel in thecontrol center 292 view the live video feed from vehicle 284 a and alertor marshal resources as needed. Alternatively, the control center canenable the camera in the light bar 285 a remotely.

In another embodiment of the system supporting the light bar, a videofeed from light bar 285 a is sent to the MDT in vehicle 284 b. In afirst embodiment the video feed is sent from light bar 285 a to thecontrol center 292. The control center 292 then forwards the video feedover the internet 290, backhaul 288 and nodes 286 to the light bar 285b. Light bar 285 b transmits the live video feed from 285 a to the MDTin vehicle 284 b. The occupant of vehicle 284 b can therefore see a liveimage of the video feed taken by light bar 285 a. In yet anotherembodiment of the system supporting the light bar, the live video feedis sent directly from light bar 285 a over the Wi-Fi mesh network tolight bar 285 b. The video feed is then sent to the MDT in vehicle 284 bwhere the occupant of the vehicle views it. Any data from a module canbe sent over the network to the control center or to other vehicles.Voice messages using VoIP or traditional voice networks can also be sentfrom a vehicle to the control center and from the control center to avehicle or from a first vehicle directly to a second vehicle. Further,the control center can send any appropriate data for display on the MDTor for announcement by a vehicle's built in speakers or through a user'sBluetooth headset.

In one embodiment of the invention depicted in FIG. 15B, outdoor warningsirens 294 act as nodes in a Wi-Fi mesh network allowing vehicles 284 a,284 b and 284 c to connect to the network. The outdoor warning sirens294 connect to a tower 296. The tower 296 provides further access to thebackhaul, internet or other appropriate network for connecting to acontrol center. In keeping with one embodiment of the invention, FIG.15C depicts a point to multipoint network with vehicles 284 a, 284 b and284 c connecting directly to tower 298 that provides access thru anappropriate network connection to a control center. In anotherembodiment of the invention, depicted in FIG. 15D, vehicles 284 a, 284 band 284 c connect to a cellular network 300. The cellular network 300provides access to a control center. FIGS. 15A, 15B, 15C and 15Dillustrate possible network protocols and configurations. Embodiments ofthe invention utilize any appropriate wireless network protocols andnetwork configurations for connecting emergency device 102 to a controlcenter.

In keeping with the embodiment of the light bar where the power sourceis integrated within the light bar, the power source includes at least asolar panel and a rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery pack as illustratedin FIGS. 16 and 17. The solar panel and the rechargeable Lithium-Ionbattery pack are used alone or in combination to provide power to thelight bar components described above.

Referring to FIGS. 16 and 17, the light bar 134 includes one or moresolar cells 1402 arranged on a solar panel and one or more battery packs1408, which are controlled by a control switch 1304. For example, thesolar cells 1402 can be those manufactured by PulseTech ProductsCorporation, 110 South Kimball Ave., Southlake, Tex. 76092, USA, and thebattery packs 1408 can be Lithium-Ion battery packs manufactured byApplied Power Inc, 111 Summit St., Brighton, Mich. 48116, USA. Thecontrol switch 1304 is of conventional design and can be custom designedor purchased from a suitable vendor. The battery packs 1402 may berecharged by way of a connector 1306 mounted to the exterior of thelight bar to allows a 12 volt power supply to plug to the connector 1306and charge the batteries 1408 through an internal battery charger 1312as described in more detail hereinafter. The battery charger 1312 issuitable for charging batteries 1408 of various types, such asLithium-Ion batteries. One such charger is available from AstroFlight,13311 Beach Ave Marina, Del Rey, Calif. 90292, U.S.A. Lithium-Ionbatteries need not be the only type of battery 1408. Batteries 1408 musthave an appropriate storage capacity, voltage and current specificationfor driving the electrical devices contained within the light bar 134such as warning lights. Preferably, the batteries have a capacity toprovide for approximately 12 hours of continuous driving of LED-basedwarning lights housed within the light bar 134. Lithium-Ion batteriesare preferred because of their high density, compact size, and fastcharging rate.

In a further embodiment, the light bar 134 may include a fuel cell 1404as an additional internal power source. The fuel cell maintains itscharge for a much longer time period then the internal batteries. Fuelcell 1404 can be used to power the light bar directly or can be used torecharge the battery pack 1408.

In still a further embodiment, the light bar 134 has four warning lightheads with following configurations:

Four-Head Warning Light Power Requirement 4 Watts × 4 heads × 12 hours =192 Watt-hours Lithium-Ion Battery-Pack System 5 packs × 6 cells × 7.6Watt-hours = 228 Watt-hours Power Conversion Efficiency = 85% AvailableWatt-hours = 228 Wh × 85% = 193.8 Watt hours Extra Power Margin fromSolar Panels 4 panels × 6 Watts × 4 hours = 96 Watt-hours

An embodiment of a light bar 134 configured as described above wastested on Jul. 1-2, 2009. The solar panels 1402 were disconnected. A4-head light bar prototype was equipped with five (5) Li-ion batterypacks charged to full capacity. The test started at 2:25 pm on July 1and continued for four hours, at which point it was interrupted for thenight. The test was resumed at 6:00 am on July 2, without batteryre-charge, and continued for eight hours. At the end of test theremaining battery charge was at a safe level (within the batteryrecommended specification).

A test was performed on Jul. 6, 2009. The solar panels were providingpower to the light heads, which diminished the power demand from thebattery packs. The test was taken in University Park, Ill., at full sunwith the light bar placed horizontally, oriented in the East-Westdirection.

Percent of Solar Power vs. Time Total Power demand 11:00 a.m. 59% 12:0061%  1:00 p.m. 60%  2:00 p.m. 19% with cloud coverage  2:10 p.m. 62% 3:10 p.m. 54%  4:05 p.m. 20% with cloud coverage  4:10 p.m. 44%

FIG. 16 shows an exploded view of the light bar 134 having solar panels1402-1, 1402-2, and 1402-3, and Lithium-Ion battery packs 1408. Thesolar panels 1402-1, 1402-2, and 1402-3 are illuminated through thetransparent top domes/housings 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3. The top domes200-1, 200-2, and 200-3 can be made into a single component or threeseparate pieces as illustrated. Solar panel 1402-1 is shown as part ofthe exploded assembly, whereas solar panels 1402-2 and 1402-3 appear asgray shaded images under the domes 200-2 and 200-3, respectively.

The Lithium-Ion battery packs are distributed in different locationsinside the light bar. They are accessible in end sections of the lightbar under the inner board panels 196(b) and 196(d), with connections viaterminated wires that plug into terminals on the inner boards 196(c) (onboth sides of the light bar). It is important to follow the exactconnections and locations of the original battery packs when performingthe replacement. Additional battery packs may be located in the centersections of the light bar under the center panels 1402-2, with the wiresconnecting to the inner ROC boards in the adjacent end section of thelight bar.

In addition, the top domes 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3 include lensstructures (honey comb structures) 1410 for converging the sun lightonto the solar panels for improved efficiency. For example, each cell inthe honeycomb structure can be a Fresnel lens formed from the materialof the domes for directing ambient sunlight to the solar panels.

The solar panels 1402-1, 1402-2, and 1402-3 are attached to the bottomof the top domes 200-1, 200-2, and 200-3. To accommodate the Lithium-Ionbattery packs 1408, the circuit board 196(b) and 196(d) in FIG. 8 arereplaced with the battery support structures 1406, where the Lithium-Ionbattery packs 1408 are attached to the bottom of the battery supportstructures 1406. As an alternative, the support structures 1406 supportsboth the battery pack 1408 and the solar panel 1402-1, 1402-2, and1402-3.

Lithium-Ion battery packs are distributed in different locations insidethe light bar. They are accessible in end sections of the light barunder the inner board panels 196(b) and 196(d), with connections viaterminated wires that plug into terminals on the inner boards 196(c) (onboth sides of the light bar). It is important to follow the exactconnections and locations of the original battery packs when performingthe replacement. Additional battery packs may be located in the centersections of the light bar under the center panels 1402-2, with the wiresconnecting to the inner ROC boards in the adjacent end section of thelight bar.

Turning to FIG. 17, the solar panels 1402 and on-board battery packs1408 are connected by a voltage regulator 282 of conventional design forpowering various components of the light bar 134. The internal batterypacks 1408 are also connected to an internal Lithium-Ion battery charger1312 via a two conductor connector 1306 outside the light bar housing.Those skilled in the art of batteries and battery chargers willappreciate that the charger 1312 most be designed specifically forcharging Lithium-Ion batteries. The light bar control box 1304 connectswith the light bar 134 via a four conductor cable 1310. It also connectswith the vehicle power system 146 via a provided cigarette plug 1302.

The control box 1304 has a three position switch 1314. Position one (1)indicating “Self Power” turns the light bar 134 on using its on-boardbattery/solar power (1402 and 1408). Position two (2) indicating “Off”(neutral) turns the light bar 134 off and charges the vehicle battery146 via the cigarette plug 1302 when adequate illumination is availableon the solar panels 1402. Position three (3) indicating “Chassis Power”turns the light bar 134 on using the vehicle power 146. In a furtherembodiment, switch 1314 may has a fourth position, e.g., position (4),indicating “Fast Charging” connects battery charger 1312 to the externalpower source through connector 1306 so as to fast charge battery pack1408.

From the light bar assembly 134, one or more cables 1310 are routed intothe vehicle's cabin near the location of the power control switch 1304.The one or more cables 1310 are then connected to the light bar powerswitch 1314. The cigarette plug 1302 from the light bar power switch1304 is plugged into the vehicle cigarette plug receptacle through cable1308. The cables 1310 includes one or more power lines and signal linesthat carries either the charging current or control signals to the lightbar assembly.

When the vehicle power system 146 is used to provide trickling chargingof the battery pack 1408, the cable 1310 can be made very thin becausethe charging current and signals are small, thereby making it very easyto route the cables 1310 from the cabin to the light bar assembly.

As mentioned above, a control switch 1304 is provided with the system.Referring to FIG. 17, the control switch 1304 is a three position switch1314:

Switch Position Function 1 Light bar ON using its on-board power 2 Lightbar OFF/Trickle charge vehicle battery when solar panels have adequateillumination 3 Light bar ON using vehicle chassis powerIn one embodiment of the invention, the control switch 1304 is amanually operated, single-pull switch of conventional construction. Themanual switch 1314 allows an operator or user of the light bar 134 toselect the power source from among the solar panel 1402, the batterypack 1408 and the external power source. Because it is manuallyoperated, the switch is preferably located within the passengercompartment of the vehicle in order to provide easy access for thevehicle operator, who is typically a first responder when the vehicle isan emergency vehicle such as a police or fire vehicle.

A cigarette-plug connection to the vehicle chassis power is provided. Inthe switch positions One and Two, no current is drawn from the vehiclechassis. In position Two, the vehicle battery is trickle charged througha diode that bypasses the switch and prevents current flow in theopposite direction. For example, when it is switched to position 2,control switch 1304 sends a control signal to the battery charger 1312to start trickling charging the battery pack 1408. In this embodiment,the battery charger 1312 includes trickling charging circuit to drawsmall currents from vehicle power system 146 so as to charge batterypack 1408. Because the current used to trickle charge the battery can bevery small, the wires in cable 1310 and 1308 for carrying the chargingcurrent can be made very thin and easy to install. The battery chargerprovides trickle charging in a conventional manner.

In an alternative embodiment, switch 1314 can have a fourth position forcharging the battery using external power source connected throughconnector 1306. In this embodiment, battery charger 1312 can be switchedto provide regular charging of battery pack 1408, in response to controlsignals from control switch 1304. In particular, the battery charger1312 can operate in regular and trickling charging modes. When switch1314 is switched to position 2, battery charger 1312 operates in thetrickling charging mode as described above. When switch 1314 is switchedto position 4, battery charger 1312 operates in the regular chargingmode and draw charging currents from an external power source throughconnector 1306.

Each LED warning light head of the light bar 134 can be amber, blue, orred. The light head (e.g., 172 in FIG. 7A) has a replaceable reflectorand the front dimensions of the projecting light are for example 1.6″ inheight and 3.4″ in width. The light bar frame has a modular design inkeeping with the construction illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 6-10, includingend modules 196 a and 196 e, a center light-bar module 168, and twoboards 196 b and 196 d. Each of board 196 b and 196 d includes two (2)LED heads integrated with optical reflectors and electronic drivers. Thelight bar 134 also includes replaceable LED reflectors (e.g., see FIG.7A), two (2) inner boards, power converters, a light-bar controller,five battery-pack modules with Li-ion cells, four solar-panel modules;and shore charger module 1306 (FIG. 17).

As shown in FIG. 17, the solar light bar system includes a light bar134, a light-bar mount, a control switch 1314 with wires, and acigarette plug 1302. The light bar assembly 134 contains all the systemsnecessary for operation and can be shipped pre-wired to its controlswitch 1314. The only wiring connection with the vehicle is via aprovided cigarette plug 1302. The control wires provided with the systemcan enter the cabin via a vehicle's door seal for easy installation. Thecontrol switch 1314 can be Velcro-mounted in the cabin if desired. Themount for the light bar is described in FIGS. 5A and 5B and is easilyportable between vehicles.

The light bar system shown in FIG. 16 meets the SAE J845 Class 1specification for light output. It can operate for 12 hours on its ownLithium-Ion battery packs and solar power. Preferably, the light barsystem does not draw any power from the vehicle electrical system duringnormal operation, unless it is deliberately switched to chassis power.If the lights are not operating and the solar panels have adequateillumination, the solar panels automatically charge the vehicle battery.

Operating controls are provided by three-position switch 1314, including(1) on self-power, (2) off and charge, and (3) on chassis-power. Thesystem has a shore power connector 1306, rated at 12V DC and 6 Amps, toconnect to the on-board battery charger 1312. Amber, red, and blue LEDmodules are available from Federal Signal Corporation, each meetingappropriate color specifications per SAE J578. LED light heads aremounted on easily exchangeable modules. Multiple flash patterns areeasily selectable. The system is modular and self contained, with allcomponents, except for switches 1314 and mounts, contained in onehousing. The vehicle roof mounts of FIGS. 5A and 5B fit a variety ofvehicles. The size of the system is that of a standard Arjent light barmanufactured by Federal Signal Corporation. Wiring complies with theGeneral Technical Requirements of the Arizona Solicitation T09-19-00011,which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.

In a further embodiment, an external power source is connected to thelight bar 134 for providing power in addition to the integrated internalsolar panel 1402 and the battery pack 1408. For example, when the lightbar 134 is mounted on a police patrol vehicle, the battery 146 of thepolice vehicle may provide an external power source for powering theintegrated light bar. The vehicle battery 146 can be connected to theintegrated light bar by way of hard wiring or tapping, or through acigarette plug 1302 connected to the light bar.

In an alternative embodiment, the light bar system includes a controlcircuit for trickle charging the light bar battery pack 1408 duringnormal operation of the vehicle. The trickle charging can be providedthrough either a wired or wireless connection. The advantage of tricklecharging is that the batteries potentially never have to be plugged intoa charger off of the vehicle. When the solar panel 1402 is used tocharge the batteries, they can be supplemented by a trickle chargecapability provided by the vehicle's electrical system that enables thebattery pack 1408 to drive the light bar indefinitely.

Depending on the environment, the solar cells 1402 can provide much ofthe recharging of the batteries 1408. But even in the sunniest ofenvironments, the solar cells 1402 may not be enough to keep thebatteries 1408 fully charged. However, normal operation of the vehiclewill produce enough excess electrical capacity to reliably tricklecharge the batteries 1408. The trickle charging circuit draws power fromthe vehicle's electrical system and provides a continuousconstant-current charge at a low rate which is used to complement thesolar cell 1402 to maintain the battery 1408 in a fully chargedcondition.

As shown in FIG. 17, the control switch 1314 includes circuitry to drawsmall currents from the vehicle battery 146 for trickle charging thelight bar batteries 1408. In this embodiment, the connection is wiredbetween the light bar batteries and the vehicle engine and the wire canbe relatively thin because the current draw is low. This greatlysimplifies installation.

Alternatively, trickle charging of the battery pack 1408 is providedthrough wireless energy transfer. For example, the battery charger 1312in the light bar system shown in FIG. 17 includes a near field inductioncharging capability and charges the battery pack 1408 through induction.In particular, the charger 1312 includes a transformer 1316 formed by aprimary coil 1316A and a secondary coil 1316B. The transformer 1316includes uses the primary coil 1316A to create an alternatingelectromagnetic field from within the passenger compartment. Thesecondary coil 1316B is disposed within the light bar assembly orconnected to the outer surface of the light bar housing and in proximityto the primary coil. The secondary coil 1316B takes power from theelectromagnetic field and converts it back into electrical current toproviding charging current to the battery charger 1312 so as to tricklecharging the battery pack 1408. In order to prevent interference by themetal parts of the vehicle roof sitting between the primary coil and thesecond coil may be cut away.

In an alternative embodiment as shown in FIG. 17A, the primary coil1316A and the secondary coil 1316B may be separated at a greaterdistance. For example, the secondary coil 1316B is disposed within thelight bar assembly or close to the light bar assembly on the vehicleroof, and the primary coil 1316A is attached to the outer surface of theengine hood and draws power from the vehicle electrical system. In thisembodiment, the energy transfer is provided by strong coupling betweenthe electromagnetic resonant coils 1316A and 1316B. The primary andsecondary coils 1316A and 1316B include magnetic loop antennas tuned tothe same frequency. Due to operating in the electromagnetic near field,the secondary coil is no more than about a quarter wavelength from thetransmitter.

In still another embodiment, the wireless trickle charging of thebattery pack 1408 is provided by far field wireless energy transfer asshown in FIG. 17B. In this embodiment, the secondary coil 1316B isdisposed within the light bar assembly and the primary coil 1318A isattached to the outer surface of the engine hood and draws power fromthe vehicle electrical system. In order to increase the efficiency ofthe system, the primary coil 1318A is provided with high directivityantennas 1318A that makes the electromagnetic radiation of the system tomatch the shape of the receiving area thereby delivering almost allemitted power to the secondary coil 1316B. On the receiving side, thesecondary coil 1316B may be equipped with a receiving antenna 1318B forreceiving the energy transmitted through electric-magnetic radiationfrom antennas 1318A.

In a further embodiment, the connection between the control switch 1304and light bar assembly 134 can be made completely wireless. The controlsignals can be transmitted through wireless transceiver and receiver andthe trickle charging can be provided through induction as describedabove. In this embodiment, no wiring is required for installing thelight bar.

Referring to FIG. 17, in a still further alternative embodiment, thecontrol box 1304 includes an automatic control module for selecting thepower source among the solar panels 1402, the integrated battery packs1408, and the external power source 146. Specifically, the automaticcontrol module 1304 detects the environmental conditions such as thelighting/illumination condition surrounding the light bar 134. If theenvironmental condition is below a certain threshold, the automaticcontrol module 1304 then controls the switch 1314 to allow the light bar134 draws power from the integrated Lithium-Ion battery 1408 or thevehicle battery 146. If the environmental condition is above a certainthreshold, the automatic control module 1304 then controls the switch1314 so that the light bar 134 is powered solely by the solar panel1402. As another example, if the illumination onto the solar panel 1402is sufficiently strong, the automatic control module 1304 controls theswitch 1314 so that the Lithium-Ion battery 1408 is recharged by thesolar panel 1402. If the illumination is weak and the Lithium-Ionbattery 1408 is running low, the automatic control module 1304 controlsthe switch 1314 so that the light bar 134 is powered by the vehiclebattery 146, while the Lithium-Ion battery 1408 is also recharged by thevehicle battery 146. If the illumination is sufficiently strong, theautomatic control module 1304 controls the switch 134 so that thevehicle battery 146 is recharged by the solar panel 1402.

In order to switch among the power sources, the light bar 234 includes alight sensor 1316 for detecting the illumination condition.Alternatively, the automatic control module 1304 includes avoltage/current monitoring circuit for monitoring the voltage or currentoutput by the solar panels 1402 and the Lithium-Ion battery packs 1408.

In still another embodiment as shown in FIG. 17C, light bar 134 isprovided with an on-board automatic load management module 1802 toreplace the control switch 1304 for managing the charging of thebattery. In this embodiment, light bar assembly 134 can be madecompletely wireless because the wired connection and control switch 1304between the vehicle power system 246 and light bar assembly 134 is nolonger required. As described above, charging of battery pack 1408 bythe vehicle power system 148 is provided through wireless energytransfer between primary coil 1316A and secondary coil 1316B.

In general, load management module 1802 monitors the output voltage ofbattery pack 1408 and triggers various events in response to the outputvoltage level. Load management module 108 is similar to those describedin U.S. Pat. No. 6,778,078, assigned to the same assignee, which ishereby incorporated by reference in its entirety and for everything itdescribes. Management module 1802 includes a programmable microcontroller and its peripheral circuit components for carrying outvarious control functions described herein. In particular, when loadmanagement module 1802 detects that the output voltage of battery pack1408 drops to a predetermined level, load management 1802 automaticallyselects one or more of the available power sources to charge thebattery. For example, if the vehicle is outdoor and the illuminationcondition is satisfactory as detected by light sensor 1316, loadmanagement 1802 then switches and connects solar panel 1402 to batterycharger 1312 so as to charge the battery. Alternatively or additionally,if the vehicle is blocked from the sun and the illumination condition ispoor, load management 1802 then selects fuel cell 1404 or vehicle powersystem 146 to charge the battery.

As another example, when light bar 134 operates under full load and/orfor a long period of time, the output voltage level of the battery maycontinue to drop even if solar panel 1402 or fuel cell 1404 is used tocharge the battery. In this case, load management 1802 selects all ofthe available power sources to charge the battery. Specifically, solarpanel 1402 and/or fuel cell 1404 are used to provide regular chargingwhile vehicle power system 146 is used to provide consistent tricklecharging so as to complement other sources.

Still further, when an external power source is connected to light bar134 through connector 1306, load management 1802 detects the connectionand automatically select the external power source to charge the batteryand/or power the light bar assembly. If additional power sources aresupplied to light bar assembly, load management 1802 can be readilymodified and programmed to include those power sources and theoperations are similar to those described herein.

All references, including publications, patent applications, andpatents, cited herein are hereby incorporated by reference to the sameextent as if each reference were individually and specifically indicatedto be incorporated by reference and were set forth in its entiretyherein.

The use of the terms “a” and “an” and “the” and similar referents in thecontext of describing the light bar and its network environment(especially in the context of the following claims) are to be construedto cover both the singular and the plural, unless otherwise indicatedherein or clearly contradicted by context. The terms “comprising,”“having,” “including,” and “containing” are to be construed asopen-ended terms (i.e., meaning “including, but not limited to,”) unlessotherwise noted. All methods described herein can be performed in anysuitable order unless otherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearlycontradicted by context. The use of any and all examples, or exemplarylanguage (e.g., “such as”) provided herein, is intended merely to betterilluminate the various embodiments of the light bar and does not pose alimitation on the scope of the invention unless otherwise claimed. Nolanguage in this description should be construed as indicating anynon-claimed element as essential to the practice of the invention.

Preferred embodiments of the light bar and the system supporting it aredescribed herein, including any best mode known to the inventor.Variations of those preferred embodiments may become apparent uponreading the foregoing description. The inventor expects skilled artisansto employ such variations as appropriate, and the inventor intends forthe fully integrated light bar and its supporting network system to bepracticed otherwise than as specifically described herein. Accordingly,this invention includes all modifications and equivalents of the subjectmatter recited in the claims appended hereto as permitted by applicablelaw. Moreover, any combination of the above-described elements in allpossible variations thereof is encompassed by the invention unlessotherwise indicated herein or otherwise clearly contradicted by context.

1. A system for use by a vehicle comprising: an emergency device formounting to the vehicle and housing at least one warning light; arechargeable power source disposed within the emergency device forpowering the at least one warning light; a solar energy source forconverting solar energy into electrical energy associated with theemergency device; at least one connector connected to the emergencydevice and accessible from an external surface of the device forconnecting to a power source external of the emergency device such thatthe external power source charges the rechargeable power source whencoupled to the at least one connector; a device connecting the solarenergy source and the rechargeable power source to control the flow ofenergy from the solar energy and rechargeable power sources to the atleast one warning light such that the energy from the solar energysource charges the rechargeable power source and power the at least onewarning light; and a control interface in an interior of the vehicle incommunications with the emergency device for controlling the at leastone warning light.
 2. The system of claim 1 wherein the controlinterface includes a control switch which select at least one of therechargeable power source, the solar energy source, and the externalpower source to power the at least one warning light.
 3. The system ofclaim 1 further including a battery charger for receiving power from atleast one of the solar energy source and the external power source so asto charge the rechargeable power source.
 4. The system of claim 3further including a voltage regulator for regulate the power providedfor the at least one warning light from at least one of the rechargeablepower source, the solar energy source and the external power source. 5.The system of claim 2 further including a light sensor for sensing anillumination condition, wherein the control interface automaticallyperforms the selection in response to the detected illuminationcondition.
 6. The system of claim 2, wherein the control switchincludes: a first position for selecting at least one of the solarenergy source and the rechargeable power source to power the at leastone warning light; a second position for turning off the emergencydevice; and a third position for selecting the external power source topower the at least one warning light.
 7. The system of claim 6, whereinthe external power source includes a vehicle power system.
 8. The systemof claim 1, further including an output connector for outputting thepower generated by the solar energy source.
 9. The system of claim 1,wherein the control interface connects the external power source to theemergency device so as to trickle charge the rechargeable power source,wherein the trickle charging provided by the external power sourcecomplements the power generated by the solar energy source.
 10. Thesystem of claim 1, wherein the emergency device further includes ahousing and the solar energy source includes one or more solar panelsdisposed on an outer surface of the housing.
 11. A light bar formounting to a roof of a vehicle, the light bar comprising: a closedhousing containing a plurality of warning lights intended to warninganyone in proximity to the light bar of a dangerous condition associatedwith the vehicle; a rechargeable power supply mounted within the closedhousing; a solar-electrical energy source; and a power controller forcontrolling a flow of energy from the rechargeable power supply and thesolar-electric energy source to the plurality of warning lights so thatthe energy from the solar electric energy source both powers theplurality of warning lights and recharges the rechargeable power supply.12. The light bar of claim 11, further including a connector forconnecting to an external power supply so as to power the plurality ofwarning light when the external power is selected.
 13. The light bar ofclaim 12, further comprising: a light sensor for sensing an illuminationcondition, wherein the power controller switches among thesolar-electrical energy source, the rechargeable power supply, and theexternal power supply to power the at least one electrical lightingdevice in accordance with the illumination condition.
 14. The light barof claim 11, wherein the solar-electrical energy supply includes one ormore solar cells disposed on an outer surface of the closed housing. 15.The light bar of claim 11, wherein the power controller selects both thesolar-electrical energy supply and the external power source to chargethe rechargeable power supply so that the external power supplycomplements the solar-electrical energy supply.
 16. The light bar ofclaim 12, wherein the power controller selects the external power sourceto trickle charge the rechargeable power supply during normal operationof the vehicle.
 17. A method for providing energy to a vehicle-mountedemergency device, including: drawing energy from a first source disposedwithin a housing of the emergency device; delivering the drawn power toa signaling device within the emergency device; and during normaloperation of the vehicle, controlling a confluence of energy from thefirst and second sources so that the signaling device receives all ofthe energy it requires to operate properly and to cause the secondsource to charge the first source when more energy than required by thesignaling device is available from the second device.
 18. The method ofclaim 17, further including drawing energy from a third source externalof the emergency device so as to complement the first and secondsources.
 19. The method of claim 18, further including detecting anillumination condition, and controlling the confluence of energy inresponse to the detected illumination condition.
 20. The method of claim18, further including selecting at least one of the second and thirdsources to charge the first source.
 21. The method of claim 18, furtherincluding selecting the third source to trickle charge the first sourceso as to complement the second source during normal operation of thevehicle.